End of an Era

Who's gonna tell you when
Things aren't so great
Who's gonna tell you things
Aren't so great
--The Cars

Said goodbye to my 2000 BMW 323i yesterday. And with it marked the end of an era. After using stick shifts for 30 years, I've swapped the road car feel for the space, luxury, convenience of the SUV.

Will I miss the stick? Oh yeah. I've already found my hand reaching for a ghostly gear shift knob and my foot pressing on a missing clutch pedal.

The new ride, a BMW X3, is no slouch on the road. Plus, it is loaded with comfort and luxurious doodads that made the old wheels seem cramped and arcane. And, admittedly, it kind of feels good to step sideways to up into the driver's seat rather than to crouch down into the old 'cockpit.'

Nonetheless, I felt pangs of regret when I turned my old keys over to the sales guy. For almost 13 years, I was fortunate to drive, truly, the Ultimate Driving Machine.